Information centric networking (icn) router

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ICN router ( 1 ), comprising a first cache layer (L1) and a second cache layer (L2), the first cache layer (L1) comprising a first content memory ( 11 ) and the second cache layer (L2) comprising a second content memory ( 21 ), the second content memory ( 21 ) having a higher capacity but a slower access speed than the first content memory ( 11 ), the router ( 1 ) being configured so that the first cache layer (L1) is adapted to fetch data from second cache layer (L2) when the router ( 1 ) is requested to output said data, characterized in that the first content memory ( 11 ) presents a first block size and the second content memory ( 21 ) presents a second block size, the second block size being higher that the first block size, the first content memory ( 11 ) comprising a swap area ( 110 ) through which the first content memory ( 11 ) is connected to the second content memory ( 21 ), the swap area ( 110 ) being adapted for individually serving blocks at the first block size as parts of blocks at the second size fetched from the second content memory ( 21 ).

1 . An ICN router ( 1 ), comprising a first cache layer (L1) and a second cache layer (L2), the first cache layer (L1) comprising a first content memory ( 11 ) and the second cache layer (L2) comprising a second content memory ( 21 ), the second content memory ( 21 ) having a higher capacity but a slower access speed than the first content memory ( 11 ), the router ( 1 ) being configured so that the first cache layer (L1) is adapted to fetch data from second cache layer (L2) when the router ( 1 ) is requested to output said data,
 characterized in that the first content memory ( 11 ) presents a first block size and the second content memory ( 21 ) presents a second block size, the second block size being higher that the first block size, the first content memory ( 11 ) comprising a swap area ( 110 ) through which the first content memory ( 11 ) is connected to the second content memory ( 21 ), the swap area ( 110 ) being adapted for individually serving blocks at the first block size as parts of blocks at the second size fetched from the second content memory ( 21 ).   
     
     
         2 . An ICN router according to  claim 1 , wherein the first cache layer (L1) further comprises a first index memory ( 12 ) indexing blocks of the first content memory ( 11 ), and the second cache layer (L2) further comprises a second index memory ( 22 ) indexing blocks of the second content memory ( 21 ). 
     
     
         3 . An ICN router according to  claim 2 , wherein the first content memory ( 11 ) has a higher capacity but a slower access speed than the first index memory ( 12 ), and the second content memory ( 21 ) has a higher capacity but a slower access speed than the second index memory ( 22 ). 
     
     
         4 . An ICN router according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , further comprising a third cache layer (L3) comprising a mass memory ( 31 ) having a higher capacity but a slower access speed than the second content memory ( 21 ), the router ( 1 ) being configured so that the second cache layer (L2) is adapted to fetch data from third cache layer (L3) when the router ( 1 ) is requested to output said data. 
     
     
         5 . An ICN router according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the first content memory ( 11 ) further comprising a start-of-video area ( 111 ) wherein is stored at least the first block of a plurality of contents stored in the second content memory ( 21 ). 
     
     
         6 . An ICN router according to  claim 5 , wherein the contents having at least their first block stored in the start-of-video area ( 111 ) are the contents of the second content memory ( 21 ) which are the likeliest to be requested. 
     
     
         7 . A method for accessing content at an ICN router ( 1 ), characterized in that it comprises steps of:
 (a) receiving at the router ( 1 ) a request for a content at least partially stored in a second content memory ( 21 ) of second cache layer (L2) of the router ( 1 ), the second content memory ( 21 ) presenting a second block size;   (b) at a swap area ( 110 ) of a first content memory ( 11 ) of a first cache layer (L1) of the router ( 1 ), the first content memory ( 11 ) presenting a first block size, fetching blocks at the second block size of data of said requested content from the second content memory ( 21 );   (c) for each fetched block at the second block size fetched, sequentially serving, in response to the request, blocks at the first block size as parts of the fetched block at the second block size.   
     
     
         8 . An ICN router according to  claim 7 , wherein the step (a) further comprises searching for a first block of the requested content in a start-of-video area ( 111 ) of the first content memory ( 11 ). 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein at least the first block of the requested content is stored in the start-of-video area ( 111 ), the step (b) simultaneously comprising sequentially serving in response to the request blocks of the requested content which are stored in a start-of-video area ( 111 ). 
     
     
         10 . An ICN router according to any one of  claims 7  to  9 , wherein the requested content is a video to be played, comprising a step (d) of, when receiving at the router ( 1 ) a request for pausing the serving of the video, further sequentially serving at least one block at the first block size, and when receiving at the router ( 1 ) a request for resuming the serving of the video, performing again steps (b) and (c) from the last block served. 
     
     
         11 . A computer program product, comprising code instructions for executing a method for accessing content at an ICN router ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 7  to  9 . 
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable medium, on which is stored a computer program product comprising code instructions for executing a method for accessing content at an ICN router ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 7  to  9 .